I realized today that next Friday will be the last working Friday for me. I have 13 more working days left over four weeks but with Christmas and New Year's Day falling on Fridays, I only have to work one more full week. The reality of retirement is just starting to hit me. I've been playing at cleaning out my office but today I got serious about it and brought home two bags of stuff. Believe me, there's much more to do.
    Maybe it had something to do with my boss sending out a notice for my reitrement party. Since then I've been getting calls and emails from people I've worked with over the years. Its rather bittersweet. I'm sad to think of the many talented and enjoyable co-workers with whom I may never cross paths again. I'd like to keep in touch with so many of them but the reality is that its hard to do and not likely to happen with many of them.
    The other thought that keeps going through my mind is whether I will still want to travel after I am retired. For me and I think most working people, retirement has always meant living in a low stress world. Vacations were a way to experience that world for a short time. Retirement was also a time when I could travel widely without a deadline. So now I wonder if I will still find travel to be low stress or will my everyday life be so stress-free that traveling will feel stressful. I guess only time will tell.